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A warmer, wetter Mars might have been a habitable world, but it's not clear exactly how the conditions on Mars changed and became so different. Our neighboring planet had the best chances for harboring life as we know it, even if it doesn't anymore. There's really no proof that Mars supported life (yet?), but it's not impossible to think that things once lived there. Here are just a few clues that could lead to finding alien lifeforms.

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The affordability of putting things into space is very gradually getting better all the time, and someday cheap launches will enable some pretty cool stuff. Rockets are still expensive (and dangerous), but there's more competition than ever before -- and the prices are coming down. Here are just a few links on cheaper ways to get off our planet.

SpaceX is almost ready to test its reusable rockets. The plan is to launch a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket to get an unmanned Dragon spacecraft to the International Space Station, then the rocket will safely (and softly) land on a floating platform so that it can be cheaply refurbished for another mission. [url]

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We've covered a bunch of plans for manned missions to space from amateurs and private companies and various governments. There are three countries that have built space vehicles for people: Russia, China and the US. However, the US hasn't had a launch system for its astronauts made domestically since the retirement of the space shuttle program. NASA is getting closer to having more new launch systems made in the USA, and here are just a few links on the topic.

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Astronauts might hibernate on the way to Mars, but they'll eventually need to wake up and eat something. Astronaut food isn't just freeze-dried ice cream and tubes of mashed up mystery meat. Even though microgravity can adversely affect a person's sense of taste, that doesn't mean astronauts should be expected to live on endlessly dreary meals. Here are just a few links on space foods that astronauts might enjoy.

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We already have a bunch of robots exploring various aspects of Mars, but even though we're not running out of things that bots can do in space, it would be nice to get astronauts walking on another planet someday. We could go back to the moon, but Mars is a more ambitious and noteworthy goal. Getting to Mars safely is a challenge because it'll take several weeks (at least) to get there, and no one has ever tested radiation shielding on such a long trip in open space. Still, it should be possible if we're committed to doing it. Here are just a few baby steps towards making a trip to Mars happen.

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The number of ways to get people into space is at a record low right now, but some projects on the horizon are planning to get more people living in space in the not too distant future. Commercial space ventures are going to be shuttling (or capsule-ing, as the case may be) people to low earth orbit, and some other projects are aiming for more distant journeys. Here are just a few space exploration plans to keep an eye on if you still want to be an astronaut someday.

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The space race to get people to the moon and other destinations in our solar system has pretty much stalled. But a few billionaires and some really passionate hobbyists are trying to build rockets that will get people off our planet (with wildly varying success). Suborbital flights are difficult, but they're not really enough to get some serious space exploration going again. Still, we gotta start somewhere, right? Here are just a few projects that could get people into outer space on the cheap.

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Traveling to Mars is no simple feat, and it's much more difficult than a relatively short trip to the moon. The atmosphere on Mars is thinner than the Earth's, so it poses a significant threat to any vehicle that attempts to land on the planet. Plus, a trip to Mars could take months depending on how much fuel is used (or what kind of propulsion is used). Still, several projects are making the ambitious journey, and here are just a few examples of Martian missions.

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Not too long ago, becoming an astronaut was an amazing achievement that only a very few, rigorously selected and intensely trained pilots could ever hope to attain. But nowadays, while it's not exactly commonplace to be a space traveler, if you have enough disposable income, you could pay the Russian Space Agency for a ride or line up to buy a ticket on a commercial flight (to the "edge" of space). Over 500 people have been in space (from 36 different countries), and plenty more people will follow them. Here are just a few things you might want to know about space travel before you plan your next trip.

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Exploring the vastness of space isn't cheap, but it's becoming more accessible as the cost of satellites comes down slowly and data from telescopes is shared widely and freely. Citizen scientists can help advance astronomy in a variety of ways, donating time and/or money to projects that need more help. NASA's budget isn't exactly huge (compared to other parts of the national budget), so space scientists need all the help they can get. Here are just a few links on the wisdom of the crowd contributing to space exploration.